Another like me
by Daval21
Summary: Life has never been very easy for Ranma but what if it suddenly took a turn for the worse. What if he were a mutant. Not just any mutant however, lets just say it involves a certain goth girl loner we all know and love (Ranma 12 X-Men Evolution Crossover
1. Awakening

Another Like Me....

I do not own Ranma 1/2 and its associated characters. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own X-men Evolution or any of it's associated characters. Inspiration for this fic came from 'The Evolution'. A Ranma 1/2 X-men crossover by Dragonlord.

Thoughts >

Telepathy >>

**Chapter 1: Awakening**

"Ranma!!!", the scream echoed around the schoolyard. The boy sighed as he heard the yell and watched his uncute tomboy of a fiancée stomp towards him from the cafeteria, a fiery red aura surrounding her. Ranma snorted in contempt, _If that fiancée of mine thinks that I'm gonna eat that slop she calls food then she's got another thing comin ._ He was still irritated about last night. He would never have believed that the Tendo's, let alone his own family could be so...so...prejudiced.

* * *

FLASHBACK

It had all started after the family had sat down for dinner. The television had been showing the latest idol singer strutting her stuff on the stage (Happosai had been watching and no-one could be bothered to fight the ol'pervert for the remote). The program was suddenly interrupted by a special international news bulletin. Apparently a group of young mutants had wreaked havoc in downtown New York. The police had been called in but had no luck in containing them until another team of mutants arrived on the scene. The video footage being shown had impressed Ranma greatly. These guys and girls had some serious training. Nothing in his league of course but their powers amply made up for any physical weakness. He had turned to the rest of the occupants of the table just in time to hear their comments.

"Foul creatures aren't they Tendo, I always said they were trouble. The whole lot of them should have been exterminated years ago"

"Quite right Saotome, such abominations of nature should not be allowed to exist."

The two older men continued in their ranting. Abominations…no… they were demons sent from hell in order to sully the pure blood of true men. Monsters, Child-killers, Rapists, Murderers, Terrorists! It was when Genma suggested synchronized rounding up, imprisonment and execution of all possible mutants, active or otherwise, would be the best policy for the U.N. to follow that Ranma decided he'd heard enough!

None seemed to notice the temperature drop in the room until Ranma spoke, and when he did it was in a voice so low, so dangerous, so cold and devoid of emotion that it could have frozen even the blood of Saffron in his fiery veins.

"Did I hear you right Pops? Are you saying cause someone's different we should jus' go out an' slaughter them all in a...a second holocaust."

He stood and sneered at the seated form of his parent.

"And to think that I used to look up to you."

BONK

Ranma fell to the ground clutching his skull, trying to ease the pain of a mallet strike to the head. A furious Akane stood over him.

"Stop defending those perverted freaks Ranma. Daddy's right and so is Uncle Saotome"

"Yes son I think you had better explain yourself, it's not manly to protect such disgusting creatures"

Ranma composed himself despite the glares he was receiving from all those at the table. Pops, Mr Tendo, his Mother, Akane and even Kasumi looked irritated at his outburst. Nabiki was just grinning at him slyly.

_ Probably thinking of someway to turn this to her advantage> _thought Ranma.

Happosai on the other hand was staring Ranma in a thoughtful sort of way.

"Well, I jus' don't think we oughta judge people for the way they were born."

He folded his arms defiantly

"If your gonna try to kill someone for being able to change the weather then why not me, after all I can use the Hiryu Shoten Ha, or the Soul of Ice."

Pointingat his no-good lazy panda of a father he said:

"You can create vacuum blades with your forbidden techniques Pop. You can even turn invisible or drain a person's energy with a series of strikes to the back. Just how is that different from shooting lasers. As for Akane..."

CLONG

Ranma's now passionate speech was rudely interrupted as he fell to the ground unconscious; another blow to the head sending him to La-La-Land.

"Don't you dare bring me into this you half-man jerk"

"Tendo I think I had better have a 'chat' with the boy and make him realize his place"

"Very true Saotome, what an ungrateful son you have. He should have married my daughter a year ago and now I will wait no longer! They SHALL be married! Oh happy day!"

Soun started to bawl with joy.

END FLASHBACK

* * *

The sound of approaching doom shocked Ranma back into the present. He had justhopped down from his position in his favorite tree to face the music when something warm and soft pressed against his back.

"Airen eat Shampoo's too, too delicious Ramen yes?"

Ranma groaned.

_ It can't get any worse can it?> _

"Get away from my Ranchan you hussy!"

_ Of courseit can> _

Ranma was getting seriously stressed out as both Shampoo and Ukyo began to pull on him, trying to get him to themselves. Trapped as he was he couldn't even attempt to avoid Akane as she descended upon him like a whirlwind of fury.

"RANMA YOU ARE THE BIGGEST…"

_ Oh no> _

"MOST PERVERTED…"

_ Here it comes> _

"JERK EVER…."

_ KAMI-SAMA WHY ME????> _

"Akane! Wait! I can explain..."

"I HATE YOU!!!"

With that Akane swung her arm and slapped him with all her might.

SMACK

The world froze as memories flooded Ranma's mind. He was five, crying as his mother died. He was there when his father devolved from a strong man into an emotional wreck. He remembered the first day of school, he remembered when his fiancée arrived, the anger he felt. He remembered being glomped by Kuno and how to create a mallet out of thin air. He remembered smashing his fiancée with it and getting a sick, twisted sense of pleasure out of doing so. Wait his mother hadn't died, his father was a fat idiot he had never hit Akane had he? Since when when could he summon a damn shivermallet. This didn't make any sense. It was like he was two people at once!

He was Ranma.

He was Akane.

He …was…

"Who am I", he whispered, a cold fear spreading slowly, encompassing his entire being.

Clutching his head he looked around as Kuno charged him, yelling something about slaying the demon who had dared harm his fierce Tigress. Rage filled him! It was him, that bastard who had set all those perverted boys on him, trying to force him date against his will!The dementedassholewho had groped him on his very first day in a new school!

His Ki aura manifested itself, warping from its customary sapphire to a blazing scarlet. In his tightly clenched, trembling fist the ethereal form of an enormous mallet flicked into being. Heaving it above his head he smashed the insane kendoist into the ground as he roared at the top of his voice:

"KUNO NO BAKAAA!!!!

POW…

THUMP…

CRUNCH…

"I …fight…on…"

Standing triumphantly over the battered form of an unconscious Kuno he realized a terrible silence had fallen over the schoolyard. He turned to see all the students staring at him and at his feet he saw his sister:

_ ….No…. that can't be right> _, he thought.

He saw Nabiki clutching at Akane's body as she lay there unconscious. Ranma stood there, touching his hand to his cheek in a daze until Nabiki lashed out and caught him by the arm.

"What did you do to my sister!"

Ranma watched as she too froze and jerked like Akane had done. Once again memories flooded his mind. He saw Nabiki's whole life through her eyes and with it gained her vast stores of knowledge. He was stunned by what he had done. He also knew he was in real trouble, the looks of hatred he was being given and Nabiki's cunning intelligence allowed him to deduce that this new development was almost certainly of mutant origin.

Pain shot through his head. Clutching at it againhe fell to his knees. Agonized screams filled the air and Ranma realized, to his astonishment, that they were coming from him. He was being driven mad! The memories, they wouldn't go away!

He had three sets of memories in his head, and the process of dealing with so much information was causing his mind to shut down. He didn't know whohe was anymore and he didn't care. All he wanted to do was escape.Pained, terrified and confused he fled the schoolyard, a mob of angry students hard at his heels.

* * *

In Bayville, New York, the mutant detection device known as Cerebro awoke.

The alarms alerted Professor Charles Xavier, who simply cocked an eyebrow at this interesting development and made his way to the machine, after the incident with the Sentinel the X-men had to do whatever they could to lay low for a while and that would be rather difficult with a new mutant running amok in the cities, further increasing the levels of prejudice.

When he arrived in the Lab however his calm external experience melted away

ARRIVAL OF NEW MUTANT DETECTED

NAME: UNKNOWN  
AGE: 17

POWER: UNKNOWN

STATE: NEW YORK

_ Intriguing> , _thought Professor X,

_ Cerebro should be able to pick up a full profile on anyone in the world, the only way that the data could be incomplete would be if he was never officially born.> _

Accessing his power he called to his students

_ Jean… Scott…gather the team and meet back at the Institute directly after school. We have a new potential student on our hands >> _

_END OF CHAPTER 1._

(Should I continue this??? - daval18)


	2. Confrontation

Another Like Me

I do not own Ranma 1/2 and its associated characters. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own X-men Evolution or any of it's associated characters. Inspiration for this fic came from 'The Evolution': a Ranma 1/2 / X-men crossover by Dragonlord.

Thoughts >

Telepathy >>

**Chapter 2: Confrontation**

* * *

Ranma had once loved roof-hopping. He had seen it as a way of being closer to that endless expanse of blue that forever called to him…the sky. Throughout his life he had never had anything to call his own. Everything he had bought or found throughout his training trip had been either sold by his Pop or destroyed. Such useless baubles were distractions from the Art, his father had said. Even those things he had made with his own two hands. 

He recalled that once, while trekking somewhere in the wilds of Japan, he and his father had come across a rather obscure little temple where the monks who congregated there studied the Way of the Staff. His Pop displaying his usual level of intelligence had decided it would be a good idea to raid the temple's treasury for scrolls and items of value. He was soundly beaten for his troubles. The monk's techniques had so fascinated Ranma that he had been inspired to make his own weapon and while his father was doing chores around the temple as a penance he had lovingly crafted his own quarter-staff. He had chosen the branch himself and laboured upon it for hours to make it absolutely perfect. When he was satisfied with the result he had finished it by burning a set of kanji into it, one on each end. One had said Ranma and the other Genma. His love for his father inscribed upon his greatest achievement. Flushed with triumph he had rushed to show his Pop, whereupon without even looking at the inscription the bastard had broken it in two and thrown it into the temple's sacred fire. Then it was Ranma's turn to be beaten. He had been nine years old.

Ranma had only had three things during the entire course of the trip: the Art, his Honour and the sky.

But now that self-same sky was looking bleak and miserable as he ran. He had to escape to somewhere, somewhere where he wouldn't be found by anyone. Akane and Nabiki's memories had receded somewhat leaving his own mind dominant, but there was still a lot he needed to think about. If he really was a mutant then he already knew he wouldn't be welcome at the Tendo home. Hell, Akane was most likely there already making him out to be some kind of perverted monster who had purposely launched himself at her and then sucked her mind dry. He needed somewhere new and more secure.

In the distance loomed the skyscraper office block of the well know Tanaka Corp.

_Perfect!>_

_

* * *

_

After travelling several miles to reach his destination and then vaulting from balcony to balcony to reach the top floor Ranma was more than a little surprised to find his position already occupied. A small campfire was crackling away merrily and a pot of tea was on a small portable stove above it. Crouched down before the merry blaze sat the diminutive figure of Happosai, Grandmaster of the school of Anything-Goes martial arts.

"Well you certainly took y'time getting here m'boy" he cackled.

Ranma recovered from his shock

"Get lost pervert, I got important things to think about. I can't do that with you around tryin to get me to wear a one o' your stupid bras. "

Unsurprised Happosai remained where he was and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"My, my Ranma is girl trouble getting you down again? Or did some thing more …significant …occur?"

He leaned forward.

"I can tell you what you want to know. About your new…abilities… I mean. There is much we have to discuss so sit down and shut up, or better yet pour me some tea and then join me."

Ranma was at a loss. After much deliberation he decided that since the Old Letch had behaved honourably so far he deserved the benefit of the doubt. His mouth snapped shut and he humbly did as he was told, pouring a cup for both the Grandmaster and himself before taking his place on the other side of the fire.

Happosai took a deep draught of his tea, cleared his throat and then began.

"First of all I assume you know the reason for this interesting new development. Your X-gene has activated and that means you are now officially a mutant. I always knew you had the potential to be one. After scanning your chi when we first met I realised that you had the power slumbering within you but I dearly hoped, no I prayed it would remain dormant."

He sighed.

"You see Ranma I too have a gift and as I aged it evolved with me, I am the very first of our kind. Fortunately my abilities are far more subtle than yours."

With that the man known as Happosai slowly melted away, his form rippling and shifting until in his place stood a young man in his late twenties. He was tall, muscular and his hair was styled in the traditional topknot of the Japanese Samurai.

Happosai sweat-dropped heavily as he looked upon the form of an unconscious Ranma.

"He took that well."

* * *

After Ranma had been revived Happosai reverted to his ancient form and continued. 

"My second gift appeared when I reached my late thirties. I can sense mutant ability in an individual and if they are very strong even discern what their abilities are, depending on whether I can study them for long enough."

Ranma spoke up.

"So that's why you stayed at the Tendo Dojo. I always thought that you settling down for a while was odd. From what I could tell at the time you appeared to be the sort who needs to be on the move constantly."

Happosai chuckled in reply.

"Quite! Thank god you kept life interesting eh?"

He suddenly became deadly serious.

"Ranma when I first learned of your powers I wept for you, powerful they may be but you have a long and lonely life ahead of you I'm afraid. You have the ability to absorb the memories, abilities, even the very life force of others at a simple touch. Never again will you be able to even lay a finger upon another living thing without endangering their life. The longer the contact is maintained the more of a person's life-force you will absorb. Five seconds contact could put another into a coma, ten would most certainly be lethal."

* * *

Ranma was shaking by now, hot tears of anger and depression running down his cheeks. 

_All I ever wanted was to find love and have a close relationship with someone who would cherish me for being me, not a meal ticket, a retirement fund or the provider of an heir. It appears that even my own body is rebelling against me to prevent my happiness!>_

* * *

Happosai waited for Ranma to pull himself together before he gave him some even more bad news. 

"You have to leave Japan and fast."

Ranma raised his head sharply at this statement.

"What do you mean old timer?"

Happosai didn't answer. Instead he walked over to a small grill nearby and from it pulled a very small haversack. He tossed it to his heir.

"That pack contains all your things plus a good supply of money and some bank account details. Use that money well lad. Make a new life for yourself. There is nothing for you here anymore."

"But…but what about Mom and Akane and…"

"Lad when I left the dojo all your so-called family, fiancées and rivals had gathered there. They were making plans on how to hunt you down. The Tendos and your own Father wish to turn you in for the hefty reward being offered for mutants by the government, Shampoo and Cologne wish you dead (apparently mutants in the village are executed as soon as they 'awaken') and Ukyo has renounced the engagement. It appears she is just as prejudiced as the Tendos. As for the Kunos, Ryoga and Moose…well actually they haven't changed much in their opinion of you."

Then came the really bad news.

"Your family has disowned you Ranma. You are no longer a Saotome, now dead to your family and Ronin. You have to leave while you still can! If you're still here when your name is removed from the registry then it will be almost impossible for you to escape."

At this point Ranma simply felt numb. Too much had happened in too little time. Instead of depression all he felt was raw unbridled anger.

"HOW DARE THEY!"

His Ki aura unleashed itself, the very golden aura he had used to kill Saffron.

"AFTER ALL I'VE BEEN THROUGH! AFTER ALL I SACRIFICED! AFTER ALL THE TIMES I SAVED THEIR WORTHLESS HIDES THEY DARE TO TURN THEIR BACKS ON ME WHEN I NEED THEM THE MOST!"

He roared and blew a huge portion of his Ki into the air creating a pillar of golden light that shone like a beacon to all trained martial artists in the world.

* * *

In the Xavier Institute, Logan suddenly tripped in surprised as he felt the awesome display of power in the distance. 

Kind of a pity he was in the danger room really.

* * *

Calming himself, Ranma embraced the Soul of Ice. His eyes now cold and devoid of emotion he turned to Happosai. 

"Where do I go?"

* * *

Ranma exited the JFK International Airport of New York and breathed in the cool, crisp air. 

He had arrived!

_END OF CHAPTER 2._

(Thanks for the great reviews. Thanks to your support I managed to knuckle down and get this chapter finished in one evening. Keep those reviews coming - daval18)


	3. Revelations

Another Like Me

I do not own Ranma 1/2 and its associated characters. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own X-men Evolution or any of it's associated characters. Inspiration for this fic came from 'The Evolution': a Ranma 1/2 / X-men crossover by Dragonlord.

Thoughts 

Telepathy 

Chapter 3: Revelations 

Ranma had fallen in love with this city. It wasn't the atmosphere nor was it the people that attracted him so: it was the food! Never before had he seen so many foods from so many different nationalities. At this moment our pig-tailed hero was sitting in a nice Italian restaurant consuming a large order of spaghetti with gusto. Finishing in ten seconds flat (it would have been five but those damned Western utensils slowed him down) he sat back and sighed in contentment. That really hit the spot.

After paying his bill he left and walked down the main street some short way until he reached a small nondescript little café he liked the look of. Seating himself and ordering some tea he closed his eyes, shuddering as he remembered the last events that had occurred on that god-forsaken rooftop. Who knew that the Old Goat had it in him? The thought of a nice Happosai was a completely alien concept to Ranma.

FLASHBACK

Ranma turned and was just about to leave when Happosai called out to him.

"Hold it young one! Before you leave these shores I have one last gift for you."

Ranma stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"You've already done enough for me. You have my deepest gratitude for your help but I can't take anything more. Goodbye, I hope we meet again under better circumstances."

Happosai stood and walked over to where his heir was standing, blocking his path.

"Ranma I am a very old man. In the past year I have seen you grow into a mature and responsible adult, capable of standing on your own two feet. Take this and remember your old master during your travels."

From his gi pocket, the diminutive man pulled a small pendant made of a silvery material. If one were to look closely at it as Ranma now did then one would notice that it rippled as if being manipulated by its own personal current.

"This here is the Aquarius Stone. I liberated it from a mutual acquaintance of ours in my youth. It has the ability to repress all water-based curses when in contact with the skin."

Ranma took the item from Happi's outstretched hand and hung it around his neck, tucking it inside his shirt. Bowing, he spoke with a voice thick with emotion and gratitude.

"Master Happosai you are a true friend. I will never forget your kindness to me."

He took a step towards the edge of the building before looking back one last time and for a moment it seemed as if the old Ranma had returned. In a cheery voice he exclaimed as he jumped:

"Make their lives hell for me Old Letch!"

Happosai watched as a small shape bounded into the distance.

"Will do Ranma m'boy", he chuckled, "Will do."

END FLASHBACK

From then on the trip had been mostly smooth sailing. For some reason people (all women for some reason) had kept bothering him throughout the flight. Asking him to join something called the 'Mile High' Club or something. As he didn't plan to fly again for quite some time Ranma had gracefully declined, figuring that such a membership would be a useless drain on his precious monetary resources. He just wished those poor girls hadn't looked so disappointed.

Anyway now that his stomach had been satisfied it was time to solve his next biggest problem…clothing. His Chinese clothes were comfortable but they had two major drawbacks. Firstly he looked completely out of place on the streets. Secondly they were far too dangerous for someone with his mutant ability. If someone were to brush his skin he would cause him or her some serious harm, of that he was certain. What he needed was some skin-tight clothing, and most definitely a pair of gloves. He had narrowly avoided draining anyone on the plane but still the risk was too great to continue for much longer.

Leaving the café he walked further on until he found a cheap and cheerful clothes shop. He had to say one thing for these American girls, they were very friendly and amazingly helpful even with his less than perfect command of English. 15 minutes later he stood in front of the store mirror and admired his form.

_Pretty Good! >, _he thought.

He wore a set of black jeans and boots, a red long-sleeved shirt and a pair of skin-tight black gloves. All in all he looked rather like a westernised version of his old self. To top it all off he wore a black trench coat to guard against the cold weather. Indeed he was so pleased with what he saw he ordered a few more sets of the same (excluding the coat of course) to last him until he could get settled somewhere.

Back at the Xavier Institute the X-men were congregated in the Library awaiting their mentor's arrival.

"Vell", said Kurt a.k.a. Nightcrawler, "It looks as if zer Professor haz found us a new playmate ya?"

"Quiet Elf, if you give Chuck a chance he might actually be able to tell us something this time", growled Logan who was still smarting from his little incident in the Danger Room.

Kitty and Jean were discussing the latest upcoming fashions this season in preparation for the forthcoming school dance (to which mutants had been invited only reluctantly). Ororo, also known as Storm, was quietly plaiting her hair, humming to herself and Rogue was in her customary armchair trying to finish her book.

Scott sighed and rubbed his temples. He hoped the professor would get here soon. The tension was killing him! Unfortunately every new mutant they seemed to encounter, as of late, had been more than hostile towards them. He was feeling a little disheartened.

_Why can't they see that we're just trying to help _, he thought.

A voice intruding upon his thoughts heralded him to the arrival of the Professor.

_They are afraid of what they have become, what they stand for. We mutants are a minority Scott. We compose a tiny percentage of this planet's vast population and yet in each one of use we harbour the potential to surpass all other members of our species. To be accepted we must exercise control but when we awaken it is fear that clouds the mind. In that state the human mind is a less than rational organ. _

Turning to the team the Professor spoke quickly.

"We do indeed have a new potential student on our hands but at the moment I'm afraid that the search for him will need to be postponed."

This caused all the X-men to focus on Professor Xavier. Something truly serious must have turned up.

"Whats up Chuck?" asked a now concerned Wolverine.

The first thing Ranma noticed when he left the shop, laden down with his purchases, was that the streets were in complete turmoil. People were running everywhere, screaming and pointing around hysterically at something in a short way down the high street. The second thing he noticed was a giant of a man in some form of brown armour tearing apart the afore-mentioned street, uprooting lamp posts and crushing small buildings with his bare hands.

Ranma sweat-dropped heavily at the sight.

_Rather like Akane during that time of the month! >, _he thought.

He was about to leap in and attempt to stop the man when from above there came the tell-tale whine of a fighter aircraft approaching. Looking skywards he saw a large black jet begin it's descent. Leaping to the rooftop of the clothing store he had just exited, he decided to watch this interesting turn of events unfold before he decided the best course of action to take.

From the plane a group of individuals emerged and Ranma recognised them at once. They were the self-same group he had seen on the television at the Tendo's house. With greater interest he watched as the battle commenced.

After five minutes Ranma was seriously considering blowing his cover. These people needed help! This man, the Juggernaut or whatever his name was, he was a monster. Anything these people threw at him he just laughed off. Lasers reflected, Lightning fizzled out and even a missile shot from the Jet by the bald man in the driver's seat.

For a moment the strange man's eyes locked with his own and in his head he heard a silent plea:

Run young man, please escape while you still can! 

Turning his eyes back to the fight Ranma noticed the Juggernaut backhand the guy in the weird visor, knocking him into a young girl made up to look like some form of Goth. As the big man stepped forward and cocked back his fist, anger filled Ranma's heart. As the Juggernaut let loose a devastating punch at the downed girl, Ranma launched himself from the rooftops, his golden aura blazed around his descending form as he entered the fray.

Rogue closed her eyes, waiting for the punch to end it all. She knew that she wouldn't survive a blow from the Juggernaut. If only she could touch him then his strength would become hers but it was too late. The other X-Men were too far away and she wouldn't get her glove off in time. She watched in fascination as the Juggernaut's fist slowly descended ……only to miss as a glowing form crashed into Juggernaut from behind, sending him sprawling.

The figure performed a back-flip off of his victim's back and landed in a combat stance rather similar to one of Logan's.

He looked around seventeen with a tall, lean, muscular frame and was obviously of Asian descent. His eyes were stormy blue and raven black hair was done up in a pigtail of all things. The clothing he wore was tight and in addition to gloves he wore a long, black trench coat.

The boy looked straight at his foe as he began to rise.

"You fight this one now", he said, "Name is…Ronin, Ronin don't lose!"

_END OF CHAPTER 3._

(How about this one? For those of you who don't know then a Cipher is a code or a non-entity, I chose this as Ranma's codename 'cause it sounds so cool lol- daval18) ****


	4. Unstoppable

Another Like Me

I do not own Ranma 1/2 and its associated characters. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own X-men Evolution or any of it's associated characters. Inspiration for this fic came from 'The Evolution': a Ranma 1/2 / X-men crossover by Dragonlord. (Blah blah blah…….)

Thoughts >

Telepathy >>

Chapter 4: Unstoppable

* * *

Ranma watched as the man calling himself the Juggernaut rose from the ground effortlessly. He wasn't even winded by the kick. Whoever this guy was he was as tough as he was strong, far more so than Ryoga. As the giant man brushed a little concrete dust off of his armour, Ranma's mind (that brilliant tactical machine) analysed the situation in a heartbeat.

_ No way on Earth I can take a blow like the ones he was dishing out earlier. I figure I can take 2 maybe 3 before I go down. I doubt the 'Katchu Tenshin Amaguriken' will have any effect, that armour's too strong the blows will probably just bounce off. I figure my best bet is to use a chi attack and to be at its most effective I'll need the element of surprise. That means I gotta let him come to me >_

He looked at his opponent again and sighed internally.

_ It's his size that's the problem! I can't afford to take a hit. Now I know how Happosai must feel, facing off against huge opponents all…the…time >_

His eyes widened slightly in realisation.

_ Happosai…Happosai…that's it_, he thought _It'll be tough and use up alotta energy but if I time it just right…> _

Ranma shifted his stance ever so slightly. To the untrained eye he appeared to have barely moved. At the same time the other X-men lying about the street were returning to consciousness. The first to do so was Logan whose ultra-healing factor was hard at work restoring his body to its prime fighting condition. Logan was no stranger to the world of martial arts. Rogue who noticed Logan struggling to his feet ran towards him and helped him to stand just in time to hear him mutter:

"The kid's a fool!"

Rogue nodded in agreement.

"Ah noe, but we can't do anything ta help till you're ready to fight again. Ah knew we shoulda brought Billy and some o the others."

Logan snorted roughly and pushed Rogue away, standing straight. He glared at her from under his mask for a moment and then shook his head before turning his attention back to the fight.

"Didn't you learn anything from my lessons kid?"

Seeing Rogue's bewildered look he explained,

"The boy over there's using a Tai Chi stance. He's rooting his body to the ground through a combination of strong footwork and breathing techniques."

"He's rootin himself ta the ground…but that means…!"

Logan growled slightly and then replied:

"Yeah! The damn fool's gonna try and take the charge."

Turning back to the Rogue he said:

"Here's the plan kid! I'll take the Juggernaut head on. You get in there and grab the boy. Then…get to Scott and absorb his powers. I got the feeling I'm gonna need a little back up, at least until Chuck's ready to try another assault…"

Rogue scream of horror cut him off.

It was too late!

The Juggernaut had charged!

* * *

The Juggernaut laughed cruelly as he sped towards at the boy. It was nothing personal but the brat was in between him and Charles. Nothing got between him and his revenge!

As he neared the lad he drew back a fist and bellowed,

"You can't stop me boy! Nothing can stop the Juggernaut! I'M RAW POWER!"

* * *

Ranma watched the brown behemoth barreled towards him, calm despite the fact that the Juggernaut's footsteps were creating mini-earthquakes each time they fell.

_ The guy's actually pretty fast but I'm pretty sure that's all momentum. His actual attack speed is pretty quite slow, a result of his overly muscular build. Almost like a certain psychopathic tomboy, all strength and no skill.> _

He shuddered slightly then lifted his arms upward, slightly bent at the elbow, in front of him. Cupping his palms together he called upon the Soul of Ice technique to making his face utterly expressionless and devoid of emotion. It wouldn't do to give the game away after all.

_ Now for the first stage of the deception>_, he thought.

Summoning his confidence he channelled his energy into his hands, allowing only a small portion of it to show in the visible spectrum. The result was the appearance of a tiny ball of energy, hovering between his gloved, outstretched palms. It shone a brilliant icy blue, emitting tiny clouds of mist which coiled around his wrists and caressed them soothingly.

He watched as the Juggernaut drew nearer, laughing at what he perceived to be a pathetic show of strength. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. Out of the corner of Ranma's eye he saw two more figures running towards him (luckily they were out of range) and at the same time he heard a high-pitched scream that could only have come from the Goth-girl.

Now the Juggernaut was upon him, bringing his fist down to crush Ranma's skull.

Ranma waited till the last moment, until the fist was a hairsbreadth away and then…

_ Stage two> _

…he raised his palms to meet the Juggernaut's blow.

KABOOMMMMMM!

* * *

The Juggernaut stared in shock! The kid had actually taken the blow. That pitiful little spark hanging in between his hands had stopped the full wrath of the Juggernaut dead on. It was like hitting a wall of adamantium. Peering down at the kid he could see that he was in rather bad shape. He was breathing heavily, sweat beaded his forehead and the force of the impact had driven him down on one knee. Still it was impossible! Was he not the UNSTOPPABLE Juggernaut!

Just as he drew back his other fist to smash the insolent brat he froze as a strange sound filled the air. The boy was laughing!

"Big-Big Man in too too much trouble now! Appearances can be too too deceiving no?"

The Juggernaut watched in dismay as the ball of energy Ranma was holding swelled to gigantic proportions. This was gonna hurt!

"SHIN MOKO TAKABISHA!"

* * *

Rogue and Logan stopped in their tracks as they watched the Juggernaut fly backwards before crashing into the side of a nearby shop.

"Woah", said Rogue, "not too shabby!"

"You said it squirt. This kid's packing some serious firepower."

_ I concur Logan. I find it entirely likely that this Ronin is the very mutant Cerebro detected entering New York City earlier today.>>_

By this time the rest of the X-men had recovered and congregated at Logan's position.

"What should we do Professor?" asked Storm, worried for the new boy. He looked dead on his feet, swaying slightly as if he would collapse at any moment. Wolverine had also noticed this. He frowned. Something wasn't right here! Mutant powers as a rule were very tiring to use over long periods of time but a single shot like that shouldn't be enough to drain even a young, untrained mutant to the point of exhaustion.

"So…", Kitty piped up, "Is it, like, over?"

_ I wouldn't count on it Shadowcat _, answered the Professor, _As far as we know my half-brother Cain is almost impervious to damage. It will take more than a paltry explosion, no matter how well timed, to render him unconscious. No…the only feasible course of action is the tried and tested method. Attempt to remove his helmet and then I will strike…good luck everyone>> _

At this point Scott took charge.

"Jean, Storm… the both of you follow my lead, the aim is to create a distraction attacking from the front. Remember to keep out of his range and give it all you've got! We have to keep him busy at least for a little while. Logan…what you do is up to you. Kitty…Rogue...we're counting on you to try and get that helmet off."

The X-men nodded their agreement. Scott was an excellent tactician as well as a courageous leader, he knew best what to do. Even Ororo and Logan were impressed. Scott may not be the most powerful of the X-men, his need to wear a visor to contain his powers weakened his combat potential seriously, but you could always count on him in a crisis. The two instructors were proud to have taken part in the molding of this man, Scott was the embodiment of the spirit of the Xavier institute, the epitome of what the Professor strove to achieve in all his pupils.

Finally Scott addressed Kurt.

"Nightcrawler, it's your job to get that boy outta here. Teleport him into the Blackbird and leave him in the Professor's care, and then get back here as fast as you can. Rogue and Kitty will definitely need your help!"

Kurt stood to attention sharply, "Jar mein capitan!" he said, in an attempt to lighten the mood of his comrades. No one laughed. The situation was deadly serious. Unfortunately the X-men were the first and only line of defence between their mentor and his crazed relation. They could not afford to lose.

A rumbling sound announced the return of the Juggernaut to the playing field. He burst from the ruins of the Convenience Store, so enraged that Scott was almost certain for a moment there that a bright red glow was enveloping him.

"You stupid kid!" screamed the Juggernaut, "I try to take it easy on you and see how you repay me! This time I'm gonna squash you flat! I'll tear you limb from limb! Say your prayers brat cos this time you're gonna die for sure. It'll be a nice bit of exercise for me before I crush Charles."

The boy who called himself Ronin was now leaning forward heavily, supporting himself with one arm as he panted. The sweat rolled down his face he made a gigantic effort to stand, only just succeeding. Scott could see that he never took his eyes off his opponent as he rose to his feet and watched as on trembling legs the kid took another stance. No doubt about it! This kid was a skilled fighter and would be an asset to the team.

Sighing he thumbed his visor, setting it to maximum frequency. Truth be told he was terrified. He still hadn't forgotten the last encounter with the Juggernaut, on the hydroelectric dam. Even unleashing his full power hadn't so much as scratched that monster. Warmth encompassing his shoulder he turned to see his girlfriend Jean, eyes filled with love and understanding, gazing at him adoringly. We are a team, those eyes said, and together we can do anything!

"Alright guys", he said, "You know what to do! Move out!"

* * *

Ranma cursed himself as he stood on shaking legs.

_Great strategy 'Ronin', using up all your strength trying out an untested move on an opponent tougher than Saffron, real clever. How in the hell am I gonna get myself outta this one _

BAMPH

His senses going haywire, he felt a hand grab the sleeve of his coat from behind. A voice spoke in English, thick with a German accent.

"Come mein friend! Let the Fozzy-dude get you out of here."

BAMPH

* * *

They reappeared in the cargo bay of the Blackbird. Kurt spun the boy around and looked on with great amusement at the look on Ranma's face. At first sheer panic was evident on his features (what in the world did "n..n..n..neko!" mean anyway?) but this was soon replaced with a look of interest and then annoyance.

"Why blue-boy make Ronin go bye-bye?" he snarled.

Kurt just rolled his eyes.

"Look mein friend", he replied, "The others need me. I can't stay and talk to you. Go into zhe cockpit that way. Ze Professor vill explain everything I promise."

BAMPH

With that he returned to the battle.

Ranma, who had barely understood Kurt's slurred form of speech had, nevertheless, realized what was expected of him. Staggering along the slightly shaking floor, he made his way to the front of the plane.

* * *

Entering the Cockpit the first thing he noticed was how large it was. Were all jets this large and complicated? He was not much of a judge but he didn't think so, this thing was state-of-the-art. Nabiki would kill to get her greedy mitts on a few of these appliances.

Noticing the bald man he had seen earlier in the driver's seat, Ranma moved purposefully towards him, intending to get some answers.

Suddenly a voice echoed in his mind.

_ Not now young one, have patience please! The fight is finally going our way thanks to your timely intervention. Sit down beside me and wait please. I have a feeling that the time for me to act is close at hand.>> _

Taking the proffered seat Ranma scowled:

"Why you take Ronin from fight with Big-Big Man? Ronin strong! Good fighter! Ronin is too too powerful! Why you dishonour Ronin so?"

The man the Demon-Boy had called the Professor chuckled slightly before answering…

_ Please do not take offense Ronin! You have to understand one thing about the 'Big-Big Man, or the Juggernaut as we call him, is that no amount of physical prowess or energy weapon will ever cause him much harm. No more than a minutes pain at most._

_His powers make him almost invulnerable to assault and energy attacks just tend to glance off the forcefields he subconsciously creates around himself. You were lucky to catch him off guard. No…the Juggernaut only has one weakness. His mind. Unfortunately the helmet he wears blocks such tactics. Remove his helmet however and then I will exercise my telepathic powers to render him unconscious! Thanks to your valiant efforts my pupils have been able to regroup and have been able to undo three of its four clasps by this time. Hopefully in a minute this will all be over. Do you understand 'Ronin' >>_

Ranma nodded dumbly, stunned by this man's air of authority. Ranma had only known him for the space of a few minutes but already he felt like more of a father to him than Genma ever had.

"Ahh", said the professor aloud for the first time, "It appears the time to act has come! Kurt has removed the final clasp and Jean has deprived my half-brother of his helmet."

He raised a hand to his brow.

* * *

The Juggernaut screamed in rage as his helmet was once again taken from him. Charles was going to win again!

In a last ditch effort to thwart the X-men's plans he slammed both his fists into the ground with such force that a powerful seismic wave travelled along the ground to the Blackbird, blasting through Jeans hastily erected protective shield and causing the Blackbird to overturn violently.

The Juggernaut cried out in triumph when no mental attack commenced. Charles was out of commission. Grinning nastily he turned back to the shell-shocked X-men.

Scott, Ororo, Logan, Kitty, Rogue, Jean and Kurt simply stared on in horror as their plans were shattered. No help would be coming for them now.

* * *

Ranma sat there slightly bruised and battered checking over the Professor's still form. Although on the outside he appeared calm, inside a furious battle was raging._ Would it work> ,_ he asked himself over and over again.

He knew that the mutant team outside were in deep trouble. This guy had been an integral component of their battle strategy and without him they had very little chance of survival. When he had first activated his mutant abilities, touching Akane and Nabiki, his powers had caused him to absorb some of their unique characteristics. Touching Akane had transferred to him her Ki-mallet technique and her overpowering temper. Touching Nabiki had given him access to her powerful intellect and vast stores of information.

Happosai had said….

FLASHBACK

"_You have the ability to absorb the memories, abilities, even the very life force of others at a simple touch. Never again will you be able to even lay a finger upon another living thing without endangering their life. The longer the contact is maintained the more of a person's life-force you will absorb."_

END FLASHBACK

Taking off his glove Ranma hesitated one last time and then steeled himself. People's lives were at stake here. If needs be he would apologise to the Professor later for stealing his powers without permission and do penance for his crime.

He placed his hand gently upon the Professor's forehead and then jerked slightly as the memories flooded through him.

* * *

The Juggernaut held the pathetic wolf-man in an iron grip, slowly crushing him and ignoring all other attempts by those pathetic X-men to free his captive.

Then he felt a searing pain in between his eyes as his world exploded!

"CHARLES!" he screamed.

* * *

The X-men watched in amazement as the Juggernaut reeled as if from unseen blows again and again and again before crumpling into a motionless heap in the middle of the street.

The Professor had pulled through!

They cheered wildly; giddy with adrenaline and pent up fear. Jean and Scott kissed passionately before recovering their composure, lighting up the now darkening sky with their blushing faces.

That is until they heard a rough, teenage voice ring in their heads:

_ Look I know you're happy and all, but can you come and give us a hand. I have a feeling your Prof. is gonna need some medical attention. By the way did I mention that being stuck in an over-turned plane REALLY SUCKS! >>_

* * *

As they entered the Blackbird's cockpit, the first thing they saw was the form of a crouching, tired Ronin and beneath him the downed Professor.

What caught Rogue's interest however was neither the boy nor the Professor's state of health. What really caught her notice was the way he was slipping his glove back on to his hand, almost as if he were ashamed.

_ If he were already a telepath> , _she asked herself _why would he not speak in that manner earlier? There's no logical explanation unless…> _

Ororo caught her as she slumped forward in a daze. The last thing she saw before she blacked out was a pair of grey-blue eyes, gazing at her with concern.

"Another like me?" she whispered.

_

* * *

END OF CHAPTER 4_

(Thanks for the great reviews. Thanks to your support I managed to knuckle down and get this chapter finished quicker than I thought I would. You have to forgive me, as unfortunately exams are coming up soon and I can't spend too much time working on these little projects. Keep those reviews coming - daval18)


	5. Ranma begins anew

Another Like Me

I do not own Ranma 1/2 and its associated characters. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own X-men Evolution or any of it's associated characters. Inspiration for this fic came from 'The Evolution': a Ranma 1/2 / X-men crossover by Dragonlord. (Blah blah blah…….)

Thoughts

Telepathy //

Well, I must say it has been a hell of a long time since I have had even the slightest amount of time to come and work on this fic. Believe me, this has not been for lack of trying. Unfortunately I now have a full-time job and a three-subject degree at University to occupy my time sigh. Anyway, after checking my review board (and sending some punk who tried to copy me packing grrrrr!) I finally decided that I should knuckle-down and work on this again. I hope to hear lots from my favorite review panel and make finish at least one of my works. Incidentally I have two new ones in the mix: Ranma-Yugioh and Naruto -OC (written by three authors)

**Chapter 5: Ranma Begins Anew!!!**

This sucked. This situation well and truly sucked. Ranma came to this conclusion with little difficulty. Not only had he been caught up in a fight, less than a day after he arrived in America but he had been forced to reveal his powers to a group of total strangers. Granted, they were just as weird as he was in their own way but still...

Ranma sighed and shook his head. Relieving the Professor of his powers had been a spur-of-the-moment decision. The large plane both he and the Professor were in when the Juggernaut had made his attack had overturned violently, knocking the Professor unconscious and causing him several injuries, all of which didn't look too good. Ranma had been largely unfazed by the incident. He could thank Akane and the rest of the fiancées for that, their 'attention' had left him rather unsusceptible to minor impacts. His sixth sense had given him an instant's warning and that was all Ranma had needed to prepare himself for the worst.

Ranma was vulnerable at the moment. Spurned by his family and loved ones, without a friend in the world, his new power still caused him much pain. To rape a person's memories and steal their life force was an experience he detested. He was a martial artist, damnit!. He protected the weak, used his strength to protect those who could not protect themselves, not some petty thief like his good-for-nothing father. His power reminded him too much of Miss Hinako's strange abilities and he knew how much pain a person in possession of such horrible techniques could cause. But these people had needed his help and that was all the excuse he needed to spring into action. He had placed his naked hand upon the Professor's brow and screamed as suddenly his mind opened up to the world in ways he had never imagined possible. Vast quantities of knowledge crashed against his mental shields. Memories of terrible pain and hidden bitterness caused tears to leak, unbidden, from his sky-blue eyes. Shuddering, he had turned to the task at hand and calling upon the Professor's memories to guide him, had begun to fashion attack after attack upon the Juggernaut's mind.

(Thankfully Ranma's own mind, that brilliant tactical machine, had helped him to compress all other aspects of the Professor's gifts, pushing aside any and all other obstacles that would prevent him from achieving his goals. That and his contact with the man laid out before him had been very brief indeed. Any longer and his mind would have been torn asunder, that Ranma was sure of.)

What Ranma saw there made him blanch with disgust. The guy was like Ryoga, blaming all his worldly troubles on the Professor and taking his frustrations out on anything that got in his way. Ranma hadn't felt too bad about pounding him after that.

Shortly after he called out in distress telepathically, the fabled X-men had filed into their vehicle and eyed him warily. A stunningly pretty girl with scarlet coloured hair had rushed to the Professor's side and began to tend to his injuries with the help of a First-Aid box located nearby. Then something very weird had happened. One of the girl who just entered the over-turned ship, also very beautiful if in an odd way, caught sight of him as he stood up to greet the newcomers. She took a careful look at him, scrutinizing him from head to toe before her eyes settled on his gloves, or rather the one he was just slipping back on. Ranma had shifted nervously at this point. Without warning the girl had fainted, actually fainted! Before any of the others could make a move, Ranma had moved with a speed bordering on inhuman. Within an instant the girl was resting in his arms. Her eyelids fluttered and she had said something weakly. It was a pity the Professor's gifts were fading, he couldn't understand a word she said.

Seeing his little Rogue fall into the arms of a complete stranger made Logan growl throatily. Whoever the kid was, he had helped them and that put in Logan's good books. On the other hand, his animalistic nature did not take kindly to his favorite student being pawed by anybody, let alone some punk they had just met on the street. He was just about to stalk over there and relieve the boy of the still unconscious Rogue, who was cradled in his arms when the kid suddenly clutched his head with both hand, dropping the poor girl unceremoniously to the floor. He then let out one of the most pain-filled screams that Logan had ever heard. The other X-Men soon followed suit and Logan felt something crash against his mental shields, clawing and scrabbling like a beast possessed. Reeling slightly from then psychic assault, his eye fell upon the fallen body of Charles and he knew.

(…)

Ranma panted and gasped as wave after wave of unfathomable pain whirled throughout his mind. He felt his fingers pressed against his skull as if trying to contain the powerful force in his mind but he knew it was hopeless. He briefly wondered what had happened to the girl he was holding, but pushed the thought aside. He had much bigger things to worry about. This had to be a side effect from his pillaging of the Prof's powers, he told himself, they were simply too powerful for him to contain. Though fading they were still an awesome force and he knew that he had to get away from here fast. The others around him were all suffering terribly as his mind lashed out randomly. Through a hazy mist of tears and the pain-induced fog clouding his vision, Ranma's already taxed mind went into over-drive again. Swinging himself around, desperately his sight suddenly became clearer as he focused his gaze on the blue creature who had called himself Fozzy-dude.

_+FLASHBACK+_

"Come mein friend! Let the Fozzy-dude get you out of here."

**BAMPH**

They reappeared in the cargo bay of the Blackbird. (_The Prof__'s memories now enlightening him as to the crafts true name._)

_+FLASHBACK+_

That was it! The boy could pull some sort of weird transportation trick. With that he could get away from here and hopefully spare these people any more pain. With little thought to the consequences he lunged at the kid who was in the process of what appeared to be pulling his ears off of the sides of his head. A fresh jolt of pain flashed through his mind and then Ranma's head collided with its target. A surge of energy flashed through his body as a strange new force suffused itself to his very being. Subconsciously he flipped a mental trigger and…

**BAMPH**

Found himself very high above a very expansive lake.

_'Kuso' , _was all he had time to think.

(…)

Logan grunted in relief as the invasive force within his head vanished along with the strange kid. For a minute there he had been ready to leap to Kurt's aid as the kid hurled himself towards the Elf but a brief, if unfocused, message had flashed through his well-protected mind at the last moment.

_//I must…this, no mo…pain for …ou and …friends// _

It seemed the kid could steal other mutants powers as well. At least that was Logan's initial assessment of the situation. If indeed they had another Rogue on their hands then this new mutant was very vulnerable and susceptible to outside forces at the moment. The X-men had to act fast if they wished to bring this poor kid into the fold. Who knew what would happen if Mystique sank her claws into this one.

But first things first. Logan glanced around at the inside of Chuck's prized jet. The other X-men lay unconscious all around him. He could hear sirens in the distance and the Blackbird was still lying upside down in the middle of the street, where the Juggernaut had flung it.

"Why does this sort of thing always happen to me!", he grumbled as he knelt down beside Jean to shake her awake.

(…)

An average-looking businessman hurried away from the scene of the recent disturbance, panting slightly and sweating profusely. Ducking into a nearby alley, he turned a corner and dropped the empty briefcase. For a brief moment his eyes glowed a frightening golden colour and then the most amazing changes occurred throughout his person. The suit melted away to reveal a perfectly sculpted female body, the skin a dark shade of blue. The short buzz-cut flowed outwards from the now delicate scalp and settled itself into a shoulder-length feminine hairstyle composed of the most vibrant crimson locks. Her face was drop-dead gorgeous, not taking into account the cruel golden eyes or the sadistic smirk that twisted her full lips. She wore a form sitting black, leather tank top and short-cut pants, accentuating her figure as well as being practical. They were the perfect type of clothing for her line of work.

Mystique let loose a soft chuckle.

This was a very interesting development indeed.

(…)

Things were not going very well for Ranma at all. The plunge into the ice-cold lake hadn't bothered him. That he was used to. The drop from a very large height hadn't bothered him. That he was used to. Having no idea where the hell he was in a country that was not his own…didn't really bother him either. He was no Ryoga but Ranma had had more than his fair share of impromptu journeys to far and distant lands, usually against his will. No what really bothered him were the nasty side-effects of his encounter with the Fozzy-dude's noggin.

After swimming back to the shoreline, he had dragged himself up on the beach and flopped out on the sand. The pains in his head were almost completely gone by this point and his new Aquarius stone, supplied by the surprisingly helpful Happosai, had prevented his curse from activating (which had cheered him up considerably). It was only when he had gone to splash his face that he had become aware of the bizarre changes that had overcome his body. He had fur…blue fur all over. His ears were now pointy and his eyes had developed a slightly golden outline. His hair had also taken on a slightly bluish tinge. To top it off he was soaked and had lost one of his brand new gloves to the deeps.

Sighing mournfully he flopped black onto the beach, laying spread-eagled on the sand and taking a small amount of comfort from the gurgling sounds of the nearby river as it made its way sluggishly downhill to join the larger body of water before him. He could only hope that the physical changes would fade way in the same manner as the other aspects of his previous victims had.

"Damn", he muttered to himself, "First day of my new life and what do I do…get myself entangled with a whole new load of issues…what am I supposed to do now!"

Finding his new purchases, a place to live and…a school he supposed. Without the assurance of inheriting a dojo he would most definitely need an education to survive in the modern world. No matter how good he was, Ranma knew that without the qualifications no-one would accept him as a sensei. Teaching and improving upon his own personal skills in his beloved art had been his dream…his goal. Now thanks to his own genetic programming, all that had been ripped from his grasp.

No… he reminded himself… it had been his father's dream. Ranma had never had his own purpose or goals before. Genma, Soun, Akane, Nabiki, Shampoo, Cologne, Ukyo, Kodachi even… they had all pressed their own expectations upon him. Ranma had had nothing to call his own, just the Art and his own personal code of honor. The significance of this line of thought suddenly hit Ranma like a jackhammer causing him to suddenly leap to his feet.

No more!

"You hear me world!!!", he screamed at the top of his lungs, his words echoing across the empty expanse of lake before him, "I will find my own destiny, my dream, my purpose!"

Punching his fist into the air, he let out a joyful yell, turned and faded out of sight. The Umi-Sen-Ken wrapped itself around him, shielding him from the public eye as he made his way back to New York.

(…)

"You are sure about this."

"You doubt my information-gathering skills?"

"You have my support. This time there can be no failures."

Mystique smirked as she switched off the communicator. The boy would be hers, even if she had to drag him kicking and screaming into the Brotherhood.


End file.
